Puzzle



PUZZLE Filed April 17. 1924- INVENTOR wrruinatl ATTORNIY Patented May 19, 1925.

* UNITED STATES ALFRED Jenn snmnor HOLYOKE, MassAoHUsn'r'rs.

(j 1,538,359 PATENT. OFFICE.

PUZZLE.

Application med-A ril 17, 1924. Serial No. 707,164,

To all whom it may concern: j Be it known that I, ALFRED J. blink, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements. in Puzzles, of which the following is a specification. Thisinvention relates to puzzles. The object is to provide a puzzle of the class in which its solution consists in the separation of certain parts comprising the puzzle, said'parts' seemingly being inseparable, but by certain movements and manipulations of the several elements, may be readily separated.

Another object-is to provide a device of this class for affording entertainment and amusement to thoseattempting tosolveth'e puzzle, said device being small and handy and capable of being arranged into a coinpact form so as to be readily carried in the condition for useagain. a

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, it being understood that while the drawing pocket and easily and quickly placed in shows a practical form of the invention, the

latter is not to be confined to strict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, so; longas such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in'which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures :v

Figure l is a perspective view of'the improved puzzle and showing the initial step in solving the same;

Figure 2 is a similarview of a portion thereof and showing solution; v V I V Figure 3 is a perspective view of the entire device and showing a subsequent step;

Figure 4 is a view similar to FigureQ, and showing aifurther step in the solution; and I Figure 5 is a detail longitudinal section the second step. in the through one of the elements vor pieces.

The improved puzzle comprises a pair of separate members which will hereinafter be termed pieces, which are of elongated form and preferably of a size and shape to about fill the hand when closed These pieces are formed exactly alike, and are provided with three holes through which are passed in a certain manner, a cord or other flexible member, the said cord being endless and doubled before threading the same through said holes. Each end of the doubled cord is made fast to a piece in a manner which, at first sight, appears to be impossible of release, and threaded on the intermediate portion of the strands of the doubled cord are one or more balls or beads,

the object sought, in the solution of the puzzle, being to remove said balls from the "cords. V

, Since the members or pieces are identical in form and construction, a description of one willsuflice for both and the same reference characters are therefore assigned to each. I

,The pieces '1 are preferably formed of wood, celluloid or any other durable ma- 'terial' wh1ch is light, strong. and non-corro- I sive, and they are preferably formed with rounded ends and are somewhat wider than thick with their opposite faces slightly tapered towards the ends and convex transversely of the piece. I

Each piece is provided adjacent to one end with a transverse bore: or hole 2, and equidistant from the other end there is provided another transverse bore or hole 3, while midway between these holes, each piece is provided with a central bore or hole 4. ,For the purpose of rendering this description more easily understood, the hole 2 will hereinafter be referred to'as the inner .hole, the hole 3 as the outer hole, and the hole 4 as the middle hole; a

' An endless cord 5, or other suitable flexible'member, is doubled on itself to provide thesame,where the closed end 6 inoloses that portion of the. strands which extends from the inner to the outer holes. p This is shown at the'righthand side of Fig. 1.

CII

.awav in a small space.

Prior to threading the strands through the severaljholes in" the manner above described, a pair of balls or beads 7, preferably formed of wood, glass or other suitable material, and havingbores or passageways, are threaded on the said strands and are normally located at an intermediate point of the same. The object of the puzzle is to solve the problem of taking the said balls or heads fi of the strands, of course,,without breaking the cord, and again to put the said balls .orloeads back again on the cord intheir normal positions.

Assuming that the puzzle is assembled as above described and with the cords drawn taut, as illustrated at the right hand side of Figure 1 of the drawing, and it is desired "2, 3 and l, and l iy. grasping the end 6 to elevate the same. as indicated at the lefthand side of Figure l. The end .6 is then directed downwardly, as indicated in Figure 2 ofthe drawing, and passed through the inner hole 2, in a direction opposite to the direction of the first passage of the strands when assembling the parts. Sufficient slack is given the strands by drawing the same through the holes in an obvious manner. The end 6 is then drawn downwardly below the piece 1 to ,forxnaloopS, carebeing taken that the right handstrand wherecoming up through the middlehole 4 shall be on the rightof the other parts of the strands when the said end .6 is passed downwardly through the inner ,hole 2,,asclearly shown in Figures 2 and 3.

With the loop 8 drawn ,throughuntil sufliciently large, the remainder of the cord, to-

.gether with theother piece 1 and the aforesaid balls 7, may then. be freely passed through saidloop, as will be clear from an inspection of Figurefi, after which the. end 6 forming partof the loop Smay be released from the holes 2, 3 and 4, as shown in Figure 4:, and theballs may then, if desired, be

removed from the cord, and part of the puzzle is then solved. 7

A reversal of the above operations will serveto apply the cord and the balls in their normal relation to thepiece 1, as will heapparent and it is therefore not. deemedneces- ,sary to recite (the several steps to be taken to secure such result.

when not in .use, the strands .may be wrappedabout the two pieces and the device readily. carried in the pocket or put Instead of the balls or beads 7, I may use cards or, other elements threaded onthe strands.

From the foregoing it .will be seen that a simple. strong and durable device of, this characterhas been provided, which will serve to amuse and entertain andexercise the ingenuity of persons endeavoring to solve the puzzle, the parts being of such simple construction as to be, capable of manufacture at a low cost, and therefore admirably adapted for advertising purposes, the surfaces of the pieces 1 offering suitable spaces for such advertisements, if desired.

What is claimed is 1. A puzzle comprising two separate pieces, each'having three spaced holes therein, an endless cord formed into two strands threaded through said holes, and one or more elements mounted on said strands between said pieces. i

.2. A puzzle comprising two separate pieces, each having threespaced holes therein, an endless cord formed with two strands joined ateaohend, and one or more balls or beads mounted on the strands between said pieces. A i 3. A. puzzle comprising a pair of separate pieces each having an inner hole near one end, a middle hole and an outer hole near tl ieother end, anendlesscord drawn to form two parallel strands joined together ateach end, one or more balls or beads havingbores and threaded on said strands to an intermediate point thereof, each end of the connected strands being first passed through the inner hole of one of the pieces, then through the outer .hole in an opposite direction, then through the middle hole in adirection correspondiug to the first passage, the joined ends of the strands being looped around that portion of the same extending from the inner to the outer holes. i

4. A puzzle comprisinga pair of separate pieces each having an inner hole near one end, a middle hole and an outer hole near the other end, an endless cord drawn to form two parallel strands joined together at each end, one or more halls or beads havingbores and threaded on said strands to an intermediate point thereof, each end of the connected strands being first passed through the inner hole of one of the pieces, then through the outer hole in an opposite direction, then through the middle hole in a direction corresponding to the first passage, the joined ends of the strands being looped around that portion of the same extending from the inner to the outer holes. said parallel strands being of suflicient length to allow slack to bedrawn through the holes and permitone of. thesaid joined endsto be passed through the inner hole of its respective piece in a direction-opposite to the first passage and to form a loop of. a size to permit the remainder 0f the strands, the balls and the other piece to be passed therethrough for freeing the first piece and removing. the balls from the strands.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing asmy own, I have hereto afiiXe-d my signature.

ALFRED JonN sum. 

